Monthly Archives: September 2010

– there are pamphlets and booklets in the guidance office (for overnight loan or to read in the office)

– the most up-to-date and comprehensive information is available online

– each student who is planning to enter the workplace will have an interview with a guidance counsellor this fall or winter, come prepared with your questions

2. Preparing for the Workplace

– for most employment opportunities, you must complete your OSSD which includes 30 credits, 40 hours of Community Involvement and successful completion of the Literacy Requirement; it is important that you complete the 40 hours and hand the sheet in to the guidance office, early in your final year at Madill so that you will be eligible for an OSSD in June 2011

– in addition to completing diploma requirements, you will need to update your resume and develop a cover letter for your employment search

3. Applying for Employment

– searching for employment requires hard work and determination

– “word of mouth” is a good way to hear about a possible job, networking from a part- time job or a coop job is also useful, check the “classified” section of the newspaper in the town/city where you would like to find a job and go to the local employment office (Wingham Centre for Employment and Learning is located at 152 Josephine Street, 519-357-4995, www.herc.on.ca)

4. I’ve Changed My Mind!

– if you have taken workplace preparation courses in grades 11 and 12 and now decide you wish to apply to college, there are some community colleges in Ontario (Lambton, Sault, Fleming, Centennial, and St. Lawrence) who have developed programming for students with workplace preparation and a number of community colleges that offer upgrading programs

5. Preparing to Leave Secondary School

– fill in the purple Commencement Awards form and hand in to the guidance office before leaving for the summer (not all awards are for university and college bound students and not all are based on marks)

– rent your gown for commencement in late May or June ($15); if you wait to rent your gown in August or as late as the evening of commencement the cost will be $20 and there is no guarantee of size or availability

– when you leave this session today you will be given a copy of eINFO; this is a pamphlet introducing you to a website that will help you to locate the universities that offer the programs you want to apply to, the admission requirements for those programs and the cut-off average for last year; it will also help you to access information about scholarships, residence, campus visits and online addresses(hot links) to specific Ontario universities and their phone numbers

– calendars are available in the Guidance Office (some for overnight loan, others to read in the office)

– online information is more up-to-date and comprehensive than the calendars and is available on the individual university websites (web addresses on eINFO or hot links) or through many of the websites on the attached sheet

– students should plan a campus visit to the universities that are their top choices – programs are available at March Break or can be arranged at any time by phoning the liaison number in eINFO

– each university applicant will have an interview with a guidance counsellor during the fall – come prepared with your questions

4. Application Deadline

– Ontario university application deadline is January 12, 2011

– students can apply to 3 programs for $120 and additional programs at a cost of $40/program (no maximum – but choose carefully)

– applications are done online and we recommend completing the application prior to the Christmas Break

– each applicant will receive an Application Access Code Letter PIN number from OUAC (Ontario University Application Centre); these are needed for application and will be given to students through the Guidance Office(at the Application Tutorial – see below)

5. Application Tutorial

– application tutorials will be held in mid November – listen for announcements to sign up for one of these

6. Dates of Interest

In order to be accepted at university, you must complete your OSSD which includes 30 credits, 40 hours of Community Involvement and successful completion of the Literacy Requirement – this information is transmitted to the universities via OUAC on the various dates, listed below; it is important that you complete the 40 hours and hand the sheet in to the guidance office, early in your final year at Madill as universities are looking for that information in each transmission.

November 12 2010 Demographic data and academic history sent to OUAC for all potential university applicants

January 12 2011 Deadline for students to complete applications to university through OUAC

February 4 2011 Recommended last date for student submission of information to OUAC including program changes and additional choices

February 15 2011 Deadline for submission of final first semester grades by secondary schools

April 28 2011 Deadline for submission of midterm second semester grades by secondary schools

May 30 2011 Latest date by which all applicants should expect a response from the universities to which they applied – the response could be an offer of admission, a refusal or a deferral pending the receipt of specific additional information

June 2 2011 Earliest date by which Ontario universities may require a response

July 6 2011 Deadline for submission of final second semester grades by secondary schools

August 2011 If a student is upgrading marks over the summer, the student is responsible for ensuring that these marks are sent to OUAC so that a final decision about admission can be made by the university

7. Financial Assistance

A. OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program)

– includes a portion from the Canadian government as well as the Ontario government

– must be applied for online AFTER you have been offered admission and have accepted an offer of admission to a particular university (updated forms are usually available online in May or June)

– much of the information needed for this application is from your income tax return and your parents’ income tax return so OSAP applications cannot be done before your income tax return has been completed (income tax return due date is April 30th)

– in order to be eligible for the Aiming for the Top Scholarship, you must complete an OSAP application (even if you think you will be declined for OSAP)

B. Scholarships

– a list of some scholarships whose applications are sent to the school is posted in home rooms and the guidance office

– other scholarships can be researched using print material in the guidance office or online at

– scholarships may also be available through your work place or your parents’ workplaces– DON’T FORGET TO FILL IN THE COMMENCEMENT AWARDS FORM TO BE ELIGIBLE – NOT ALL OF THESE AWARDS ARE MARKS BASED!

8. If you are applying to a private university (e.g. Redeemer) or out of province, this is done on a separate application that is unique to each institution; you should read their information and comply with the dates they set out. You will need to ask the Guidance Secretary to prepare and send transcripts for you as they are requested by the private school you are applying to.

9. Preparing to Exit from Secondary School

– fill in the purple Commencement Awards form and hand in to the guidance office before leaving for the summer

– rent your gown for commencement in late May or June ($15); if you wait to rent your gown in August or as late as the evening of commencement the cost will be $20 and there is no guarantee of size or availability

– if you are planning to play varsity sports at university, Madill is starting a “Wall of Fame”; any Madill grad who plays on a university team for at least 2 years will be included; please call the school to let us know so that you may be included in this recognition of our athletes

– each year a representative of the Apprenticeship Training Board visits our school

– visits are posted on the “Post Secondary Visits” list in all home rooms and the guidance office; sign up in the white book in the guidance office to attend this seminar

2. Information about Apprenticeships

– there are pamphlets and booklets in the guidance office (for overnight loan or to read in the office)

– the most up-to-date and comprehensive information is available online

– each student who is planning to apply for an apprenticeship will have an interview with a guidance counsellor this fall, come prepared with your questions

3. Coop and OYAP

– if you are currently taking coop or will be taking coop in semester 2, ask your teacher about the possibility of OYAP, if you are cooping in an apprenticeable trade

– OYAP (Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program) is a way to get high school credits and hours toward your apprenticeship at the same time

4. Preparation for an Apprenticeship

– if you plan to apprentice for a trade, you will need to find an employer who is a fully qualified tradesman(journeyman) who is willing to hire you as an apprentice

– for most apprenticeship positions, you must complete your OSSD which includes 30 credits, 40 hours of Community Involvement and successful completion of the Literacy Requirement; it is important that you complete the 40 hours and hand the sheet in to the guidance office early in your final year at Madill so that you will be eligible for an OSSD in June 2011

– in addition to completing diploma requirements, you will need to update your resume and develop a cover letter for your employer search

5. Applying for an Apprenticeship

– searching for an apprenticeship requires hard work and determination

– “word of mouth” is a good way to hear about a possible job, networking from a part- time job or a coop job is also useful, check the “classified” section of the newspaper in the town/city where you would like to find a job, go to the local employment office (Wingham Centre for Employment and Learning is located at 152 Josephine Street, 519-357-4995, www.herc.on.ca)

6. You’ve Found an Employer!

– once you have found an employer, you will need to register with the nearest apprenticeship board

– closest one to Wingham is Waterloo at 519-571-6009

– more information can be found at the Training Hotline 1-888-JOBGROW

7. Apprenticeship and College

– most apprentices go to college for part of their education

– you do not need to apply to college for this training; your training consultant that you have registered with will arrange for you to go to the nearest college for the in-school portion of your training

8. What do I do if I can’t find an employer?

– some people decide to look for work as a laborer in the field or with the employer they are interested in with the hope that this will make them more desirable as an apprentice in a year or so; some employers hire apprentices only from current employees not new hires

– some people decide to go to college and take a 1, 2 or 3 year college certificate/diploma program in their field of interest to become more desirable as an apprentice (this requires application to college); Conestoga College and Fanshawe College offer a 1 year pre-technology course and some college (Conestoga and Fanshawe are two) also offer multi-year coop diploma apprenticeship programs

– if you cannot find an employer, ask prospective employers, the training board consultant and the HERC counsellors, what would improve your chances of being hired as an apprentice

9. Financial Assistance

– apprentices “earn while they learn”; that is one of the key elements of an apprenticeship

– some loans are available for the purchase of tools needed for the trade; check with your training consultant

10. Preparing to Leave Secondary School

– fill in the purple Commencement Awards form and hand in to the guidance office before leaving for the summer (not all awards are for university and college bound students and not all are based on marks)

– rent your gown for commencement in late May or June ($15); if you wait to rent your gown in August or as late as the evening of commencement the cost will be $20 and there is no guarantee of size or availability.